| Arthur | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Characters byMarc Brown |
| Developed by |
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| Directed by | Greg Bailey |
| Theme music composer |
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| Opening theme | "Believe in Yourself" byZiggy Marley and the Melody Makers |
| Ending theme | "Believe in Yourself" (instrumental) |
| Composer | Ray Fabi |
| Country of origin |
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| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 25 |
| No. of episodes | 253 (493 segments)(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | 26 minutes (13-minute half segments) |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | PBS(PBS Kids) |
| Release | October 7, 1996 (1996-10-07) – February 21, 2022 (2022-02-21) |
| Related | |
| Postcards from Buster | |
Arthur is an American animated television series developed byKathy Waugh andMarc Brown and produced byWGBH Boston forPBS. Based on Brown'sArthur book series, it is set in the fictional American city of Elwood City and resolves around the lives ofArthur Read, an anthropomorphicaardvark, his friends and family, and their daily interactions with each other.
The series concluded during its 25-season run, the series broadcast 253 half-hour episodes (including specials and a filmArthur's Missing Pal) ran from October 7, 1996 to February 21, 2022 onPBS Kids (formerlyPBS Kids Go!) in the US and January 6, 1997 to May 19, 2022 onTVOKids in Canada.
It was the fifthlongest-running animated series in the United States, behindThe Simpsons,South Park,Family Guy, andSpongeBob SquarePants.
| Season | Segments | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | ||||
| 1 | 60 | 30 | October 7, 1996 (1996-10-07) | November 15, 1996 (1996-11-15) | PTV | |
| 2 | 40 | 20 | October 20, 1997 (1997-10-20) | April 17, 1998 (1998-04-17) | ||
| 3 | 30 | 15 | November 16, 1998 (1998-11-16) | January 1, 1999 (1999-01-01) | ||
| 4 | 20 | 10 | October 4, 1999 (1999-10-04) | October 18, 1999 (1999-10-18) | PBS Kids | |
| 5 | 20 | 10 | September 25, 2000 (2000-09-25) | November 27, 2000 (2000-11-27) | ||
| 6 | 20 | 10 | September 24, 2001 (2001-09-24) | November 26, 2001 (2001-11-26) | ||
| 7 | 18 | 10 | October 8, 2002 (2002-10-08) | November 29, 2002 (2002-11-29) | ||
| 8 | 19 | 10 | September 15, 2003 (2003-09-15) | December 26, 2003 (2003-12-26) | ||
| 9 | 20 | 10 | December 27, 2004 (2004-12-27) | April 8, 2005 (2005-04-08) | PBS Kids Go! | |
| 10 | 19 | 10 | May 15, 2006 (2006-05-15) | May 26, 2006 (2006-05-26) | ||
| 11 | 19 | 10 | June 25, 2007 (2007-06-25) | September 7, 2007 (2007-09-07) | ||
| 12 | 20 | 10 | October 6, 2008 (2008-10-06) | April 24, 2009 (2009-04-24) | ||
| 13 | 19 | 10 | October 12, 2009 (2009-10-12) | April 9, 2010 (2010-04-09) | ||
| 14 | 20 | 10 | October 11, 2010 (2010-10-11) | April 29, 2011 (2011-04-29) | ||
| 15 | 19 | 10 | October 10, 2011 (2011-10-10) | June 15, 2012 (2012-06-15) | ||
| 16 | 19 | 10 | October 15, 2012 (2012-10-15) | May 10, 2013 (2013-05-10) | ||
| 17 | 20 | 10 | November 11, 2013 (2013-11-11) | May 14, 2014 (2014-05-14) | PBS Kids | |
| 18 | 19 | 10 | September 29, 2014 (2014-09-29) | September 10, 2015 (2015-09-10) | ||
| 19 | 19 | 10 | June 2, 2015 (2015-06-02) | May 26, 2016 (2016-05-26) | ||
| 20 | 14 | 7 | October 10, 2016 (2016-10-10) | June 1, 2017 (2017-06-01) | ||
| 21 | 13 | 7 | October 24, 2017 (2017-10-24) | February 15, 2018 (2018-02-15) | ||
| 22 | 8 | 4 | May 13, 2019 (2019-05-13) | May 16, 2019 (2019-05-16) | ||
| 23 | 5 | 3 | October 14, 2019 (2019-10-14) | October 16, 2019 (2019-10-16) | ||
| 24 | 5 | 3 | March 8, 2021 (2021-03-08) | March 10, 2021 (2021-03-10) | ||
| 25 | 8 | 4 | February 21, 2022 (2022-02-21) | |||
Arthur Timothy Read is the main character and protagonist of the series, who focuses the immediate family with most episodes involving Arthur, his youngest sister Dora Winifred and Kate, their parents David and Jane, and their dog Pal. His closest friends include Alan "The Brain" Powers, Binky Barnes, Buster Baxter, Francine Frensky, Mary Alice Crosswire, and Sue Ellen Armstrong, along with others as Fern Walters, George Lundgren, Jenna Morgan, and Prunella Deegan as frequent supporting characters.
The adults inArthur play important roles: Mr. and Mrs. Read display a significant amount of stress from parenting, Arthur's friends' parents are shown struggling in middle-class jobs, and Mr. Ratburn's endures and expectations of teaching elementary school. Even in difficult, adult situations, these grownups maintain a cheerful attitude. Arthur, Dora Winifred, and Kate also visit their paternal grandmother, Thora Read, and maternal grandfather, Grandpa Dave.
Arthur became one of the highest-rated shows on PBS Kids for several years since its debut, averaging almost 10 million viewers weekly in the U.S. It is aired in a total of 83 countries, including on: PBS in the United States;Radio-Canada,Knowledge Network,TVOntario,TFO, andCBC in Canada; severalABC channels in Australia; andBBC One/CBBC/CBeebies in the UK and PBS Kids in South Africa.[1] It also aired in Ireland onTnaG (now TG4) in anIrish dubbed version.
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